Impossible Illusion

Ok, so this is just a simple picture on just your average college humor style website. But for the life of me I still can not figure out why it works. I have even put it in photoshop, cut the pieces out and layered them right next to each other and it still baffles me.
Anyone have an explanation?

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/

-Jus10
Justin

This has to do with biological pattern matching. The human eye does not do all of the seeing, the brain must interpret the images. The brain does basic pattern matching on all objects. This means that a color surounded by dark shades appears lighter than the same color surrounded by light shades to accentuate light differencs. This is why there must be at least a difference of 8 in the number of two consecutive colors displayed on screen for the human eye to register it. The shading caused by the green cylinder causes the darker squares around this particular square to appear normal so the brain does not reject the illusion. This biological factor has allowed many 256 color games to appear to have amazing graphics because they place colors next to each other to simulate two or three different colors for many of the colors actually defined. A robot performing basic color matching and depth perception based on shading would not determine those two squares to be different shades because it does not have the biological brain to do the automatic pattern matching.~Viz

Being a dentist myself, I know a lot about biological pattern matching and nervous ophthalamic interpretation, but still, seeing things like this never seizes to amaze me . Specially since this particular chess board uses the added shadow of the cylinder to enhance the illusion. Brilliant!

I have no idea how this works but its summat to do with what all the other people are saying.

Wow! I'm quite sure that they are different shades of grey. I have not yet put them on paint or Adobe Photoshop but I still don't see how they could be the same?! But even if they are the same, them what's this got to do with biological pattern matching? I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do with biology or patterns...it's just a trick of the eyes! But still, very amusing and baffling!!!

Like other people have said, it's a brain thing, not an image thing. The image really is the same shade throughout. We just perceive it differently because the funky green cylinder alters our perspective ... or something along those lines. It's interesting how the human mind's rendering processes can be so intiutive, yet make so many inferences that prove to be, well, wrong.The creator did a really good job on this one, though. He or she actually lightened the right side of the cylinder so that it really looks like there should be a shadow passing across to the left side. (Is there really? Or does it just look that way?) Great. Now I'm confused and I'll be up half the night thinking about it. shoot!

Wow! I'm quite sure that they are different shades of grey. I have not yet put them on paint or Adobe Photoshop but I still don't see how they could be the same?! But even if they are the same, them what's this got to do with biological pattern matching? I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do with biology or patterns...it's just a trick of the eyes! But still, very amusing and baffling!!!

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lol its not just your eyes, your biological pattern matching and nervous ophthalamic interpretation makes you see them differently as your brain has to interpret both the colour with the different background also taking into account that the cylinder

 

but hey still cool illusion